Honorbound
by T. J. Landman
Summary: A stranger hints at the past. Naruto is not who he seems to be. A small event leads to change. Aware, smarter though not overly so, strong Naruto.
1. Chapter 1 A Mask Removed

"War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Honorbound. Chapter 1. A Mask Removed.

A small, frail looking boy ran down a wide street, frantically searching left and right for a way out. Mere hours separated the current moment from his 9th birthday, but there was no celebration to be found. Not now, not ever. He finally found a narrow alleyway to his right and swiftly ducked in and slid down the wall behind a dumpster, sitting down to catch his breath. Sounds of footsteps and taunting could be heard passing by the alleyway, further down the main street.

"Why do you hide your true nature?" a strange, masculine voice echoed down the alleyway. The boy's eyes widened and showing his dilated pupils, he glanced at the shadows noticing a tall but slender silhouette, leaning against the wall.

"Calm down, boy, if I wanted you hurt, I'd have done so long before you heard or saw me," the stranger assured, but the boy was wary of trusting the man, rightfully so.

"W-what do you want?!" the boy asked.

"To help. We both know your true potential lies far above childish pranks and that carefree persona you wear as a mask. You'll find that if you keep hiding behind that mask, you may just see yourself become the idiotic fool you want others to think that you are," the man said coldly, "Go to the Hokage Residence tonight, check entries 7 through 12. The first five entries will be sealed, a drop of your blood should do the trick, you can take those, nobody will notice their disappearance. The last one mustn't leave the building, just reproduce the first few pages on this scroll," the man instructed and threw down a small scroll, complete with a brush and ink set, all tied together with some string.

To say that Naruto was shocked would be a huge understatement. Not only did this man supposedly want to help him, but he had complete faith in his abilities to infilitrate the Hokage's private archives.

"Everything will be revealed in due time. In the meantime, grow, become stronger and hopefully we will meet again," the man said with finality before disappearing, the only trace of him ever being there being a gentle breeze.

And it was so that Naruto found himself sneaking around the streets, laying low and narrowly avoiding the occasional patrol. The Kyūbi Festival was the highlight of the evening and most Shinobi were either celebrating or mourning their fallen, this included the Hokage, who was currently comforting a certain masked Jōnin at the Memorial Stone.

Lighting an oil lamp, Naruto carefully entered the archives, which were thankfully guarded by only two guards, both too inexperienced and tired to notice the stealthy youngster as he made his way through the stacks of books and scrolls. Reaching the earlier entries, which were located at the very back, he rifled through until he found what he was looking for. As promised, the first five entries were sealed. To Naruto's inexperienced eyes, the circular patterns looked mesmerising, but they seemed familiar for an inexplicable reason. He bit his finger, grimaced and then swiped across all the seals.

A faint glowing lit up the spirals, before dimming out and leaving the papers an unblemished yellow, evident of their decrepit. Naruto quickly rifled through the opened scrolls and a lone sheet fell to the ground. The boy bent down to grab it and turning it, he gasped. A lone tear escaped his eyes and fell on the picture in his hands. A tall, blond man with sparkling blue eyes smiled alongside his gorgeous red-haired wife, who was holding a baby with the most inquisitive look in his equally sparkling, blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2 Pride

"The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?" - Edgar Allan Poe

Honorbound. Chapter 2. Pride.

After a night far too long for Naruto's good, the young boy landed on his bed and fell asleep almost instantly, with joyful tears still streaming down his face.

Upon waking up, he opened the first sealing scroll, the one that had let loose the picture of his family, and was greeted with its contents - a three-pronged kunai, a sheathed katana and an untouched letter. He opened the wax seal and started reading the handwriting. The letter looked to have been written in a hurry, judging by the bad penmanship and the occasional smudge of blood. The letter read:

"Son.

If you are reading this, then the worst has come to pass. Your mother and I have committed the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the village. I hope that when the time comes, you will be ready to risk the same. Our love for the village could only be rivaled by the love we hold for you, our dear baby boy. Although the minutes spent with you were far too few, I could see the same look in your eyes that I have seen countless times in a mirror. In these scrolls, you will find mine and Kushina's most prized possessions, as well as our clans' knowledge. Use it well and always remember, we will always with you, our son.

Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage, Konoha's Yellow Flash and above all else, proud father."

If Naruto hadn't shed his last tear in the long hours of the night, he would have surely done so now. Instead, his eyes took on a steely gaze and he took a deep breath, an honest smile plastering itself on his face. He reached for the special kunai and after carefully examining every centimeter of it, he laid it ceremoniously on his bed. Afterward, he lifted the sheathed katana to his eyes, studying first the black, non-reflective Saya ( scabbard ), then the intricately designed Tsuba ( Guard ), with its swirling patterns. He drew the blade a few centimeters out of its sheath and marveled at the black steel, with its characteristic ripples made by the many folds. He then laid it on his bed, alongside his father's kunai.

After a careful inventory of the contents in the scrolls, everything from Shinobi supplies to Jutsu scrolls and books on clan history, tradition and techniques, Naruto turned to the last scroll, the one containing the Shadow Clone Jutsu. After reading it a few times and carefully examining both the risks and advantages involved in its use, Naruto got out a matchstick and burned the scroll in his sink. Following that safety precaution, he made his soon-to-be trademark sign and focused his chakra, just as he learned in his first year at the Academy.

A small poof and a significant cloud of smoke later, Naruto's small apartment filled to the brim with tens of Narutos all wearing confused but amazed expressions on their faces. 'This will be the start of something incredible!' Naruto thought, before being interrupted by a knock on the door. All the Narutos dispelled instantly and Naruto cleared his throat and opened the door.

The Hokage entered the apartment with a bemused expression on his face and a small glance at his eyes revealed the truth about how much he knew. "So... what have you been up to, Naruto-kun?" he asked innocently.

"Nothing much, just catching up on some sleep..." Naruto yawned unconvincingly, to which the Third just raised an eyebrow.

"We need to talk," the old man said in a tone that reminded Naruto of why he was called the God of Shinobi.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, Sarutobi had been watching Naruto as he opened his family's scrolls with bated breath. He had thought that the boy would be upset with his parents for his condition, but the only expression on Naruto's face as he read the letter was joy. Sarutobi explained the dangers of revealing his parents' identity to anyone, even Leaf Shinobi and all but forbade him to use any of his father's kunai or signature Jutsu.

The next day saw Naruto wearing a simple sweatsuit top with black lines running down the shoulders and black sweatpants, one of his father's outfits that actually fit his young frame. As he walked towards the Academy, Naruto actually felt happy for the first time in his life. The villagers' glares and taunts did nothing to dissuade his mood and he entered the classroom wearing one of his true smiles, not the fake carefree grin he had become so accustomed to donning. His silent demeanor and new clothing prompted all the students in class to ask the youngster who he is and what he's done to the real Naruto. All the students but one. Hinata Hyūga blushed furiously and secretly thought that the boy looked dashing in his new choice of attire.

The usually loudmouthed youth paid attention to the sensei, this time around, and silently took notes while occasionally glancing out the window. After classes were over, he headed home only to be bumped on the head by an exuberant Inuzuka, disappearing in a puff of smoke. All the students wondered how he'd done such a quick Kawarimi, which direction he went off to and what he replaced himself with, only to be met with no answers. The real Naruto was at an abandoned Training Ground, learning chakra control, Taijutsu and Kenjutsu using an obscene amount of clones.

Three years later.

Shikamaru was in his thinking pose, glaring at the Shōgi board. He sighed and muttered 'Troublesome' under his breath. "I can think of no way to win this one. You win."

Naruto fist pumped in the air, sighed and leaned back in his chair. After months of challenging the Nara, he had finally won his first match and most likely his last.

Iruka entered the room, scanned the classroom for truants and nodded to himself. "Settle down, now," the sensei urged and waited a moment "As you well know, the Genin exams are coming up, so Mizuki-sensei and I will be conducting a series of examinations, starting with Taijutsu."

The students made their way outside and had a look at the roster. Sasuke and Naruto were up first, as the top two of their class. As much as Naruto tried to downplay his skills, Iruka always graded him at his real level, or what Iruka believed his real level to be.

"Kick his ass, Sasuke-kun!" was only one of the shouts that were heard by Sasuke's fanclub, incidentally from its loudest member, the pink-haired Sakura.

Naruto, in anticipation of his promotion to Genin, had ditched the sweatsuit and was now wearing gear reminiscent of ANBU standard-issue, minus the mask, of course. As he made his way to the dueling ring, Hinata grabbed his wrist and, with reddened cheeks and her diminishing stutter, wished him well. He and Hinata had been talking more and more during the past year and they had even trained together a few times.

The rivals each chose a side of the ring and performed the Seal of Confrontation, marking the beginning of the bout. Sasuke roared and threw a flying sidekick, which was easily blocked by Naruto, who then pulled it straight down and tried to knee Sasuke in the stomach. The Uchiha dodged and a series of extremely fast and potentially deadly strikes ensued between the two, each dodging or blocking flawlessly. Sasuke fought in his clan's style of Taijutsu and Naruto used a blend between the Namikaze and Uzumaki styles, using a combination of agile, unpredictable strikes and grapples. The two battled for what seemed to be an eternity and neither had gotten the upper hand over the other. Iruka called the match a tie and, while Sasuke was scowling and gasping for breath, Naruto merely smiled and performed the Seal of Reconciliation, effectively showing his respect for the boy.

What neither Iruka, nor the other students knew was that Naruto had on both weight seals and gravity seals, putting him at a severe handicap next to the dark-haired avenger.

Days later, after a scandal regarding a certain sensei who tried to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing, teams were decided and the future Team 7 was now awaiting the arrival of their Jōnin sensei. Sasuke was glaring daggers at our blond protagonist, while Sakura was whining incessantly about the tardiness of their sensei. Naruto simply opened the door slightly and carefully balanced the eraser on top, then returned to his desk and started reading a book on foreign policy, useful for when he became Hokage.

The door opened and the eraser fell on the head of a masked man with gravity defying silver hair, there was no visible reaction to be seen, only mirth in his one visible eye. "My first impression of this group is…" he stopped and looked at the three in turn, stopping at Naruto and giving an eye smile, "Let's not rely on first impressions too much. Meet me on the roof in 5."

"Well… why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time?" the cyclops said while leaning against the railing.

"Sensei, what are we supposed to say?" Sakura asked.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies, things like that," Kakashi said in a bored tone.

"Well, sensei, why don't you go first, so we can see how it's supposed to be done," Sakura said.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future… I haven't really thought of that. As for hobbies… I have many hobbies," Kakashi responded, boredom clear in his one visible eye, "Now, for your turn, you on the right, you go first," Kakashi said as he pointed at Naruto.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, I like training, reading and the occasional miso ramen. I hate complacency and arrogance," he said as he snuck a glance in Sasuke's direction, "My dream is to become Hokage, so I can protect protect this village and honor my parents' memory!" he said heatedly, but promptly regained his calm, "My hobbies include gardening, pranking and practicing my Fūinjutsu."

'Naruto... honor his parents memory?' was the thought that went through Sasuke and Sakura's heads at their new teammate's statement. Everybody knew that Naruto was an abandoned orphan so what family was there to speak of.

Kakashi, on the other hand, saw behind Naruto the shadow of his former sensei, Minato Namikaze. He saw the same look in the cerulean eyes of his new student that he had seen so many times in the eyes of his late teacher and father figure. Not only that, but Naruto expressed an interest in sealing… a deep feeling of guilt overcame Kakashi as he thought of the opportunities he'd had of taking care of the boy… Sensei had entrusted him with the protection of his pregnant wife and now, years after his death, was the first time he'd really laid eyes on the boy. He silently vowed not to let anything happen to the boy… this time would be different.

Sakura followed without technically saying anything, just a fit of giggles and blushing while looking in Sasuke's direction, to which the three males of the group just sighed audibly. Sasuke was next.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate many things and have no particular likes. I don't have a dream, because I am going to make it a reality. I am going to restore my clan and kill a certain… someone," the dark-haired boy said while furiously scowling and simultaneously looking at the ground. Naruto pitied the boy, not only for what happened to his family, but because of the single-minded approach he took on life.

Kakashi explained that they weren't officially Genin and that there would be a survival test held at Training Ground 3 the following day. He also advised against eating anything so as not to throw up. He then dismissed the children and they each went their own ways, Sasuke back to the Uchiha Compound, Sakura to stalk Sasuke and Naruto back to his usual routine.

Naruto started off by creating upwards of 1000 clones, half of which were to work on his Ninjutsu, a quarter on Kenjutsu and another quarter on Taijutsu. He'd had moderate success with his Ninjutsu training and besides his father's Rasengan, he also knew a fair amount of strong Wind jutsu. He tried finding his second affinity but he could only perform weak, simple Jutsus of other elements and no amount of control exercises fixed the high chakra cost that he had to put up with every time he executed one. He was currently working on combining the Rasengan with his Wind affinity, but his father's notes didn't elaborate on how to do this particular step. After months of hard work, there had been little progress to be seen.

Today, he'd had a breakthrough in the middle of class. Why not use a Shadow Clone to mold the Wind chakra, while his usual self would form the Rasengan. It was pure brilliance.

He created a Shadow Clone, not needing to perform the seal anymore. He extended his right hand and a Rasengan quickly formed in his outstretched palm. The clone started adding Wind chakra to the Rasengan, spinning it quickly around the concentrated ball. After the two formed something resembling a normal Rasengan, but with spinning chakra blades all around it, Naruto decided to test it out on a nearby tree. He roared and charged the tree and punched a whole straight through the tree, and the next one, and the one after that. He hit solid rock and the Jutsu just spun faster, decreasing in size for a moment before expanding violently.

Naruto yelled and cursed himself for his stupidity, as the spinning ball just rotated out of control, making thousands of cuts on the youth's arm and causing the boy an excruciating amount of pain, the last thing Naruto saw before he blacked out was his own right hand, barely recognizable because of the blood and flesh currently on display. 

The blond youth found himself in a sewer of sorts. He advanced slowly through the knee-deep, muddy water, still rubbing his arm from the phantom pain he was feeling due to his failed Jutsu.

Naruto could barely make out gigantic columns taller than the eye could see, and behind them darkness so consuming that a shiver ran down the boy's spine. A presence so horrifying that Naruto had trouble standing upright, something so unnatural that all he could think of was turning around and running as far away as he could. Dread filled his mind, images of his parents' death, impaled on a huge claw, The Third with blood leaking from his lips, Hinata laying lifelessly on the ground, even paler than the palest Hyūga could ever be.

Red slitted eyes were the mirrors in which Naruto now saw nothing but fear and death.


	3. Chapter 3 Warrior

"There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within." - Morihei Ueshiba

Honorbound. Chapter 03. Warrior.

Naruto inhaled deeply. His once unfocused eyes blinked once and his expression transformed. His eyes were now calm, determined, the rest of his features serene. A smile slowly tugged at the corners of his lips.

**"HOW DARE YOU?!"** a deep, unnatural voice roared, revealing huge teeth with canines that protruded beyond its dark lips. Naruto's smile widened further still.

**"Are you mocking me?"** the Kyūbi, for it could be nothing else, growled. Naruto broke into a joyous laugh.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Naruto said, his expression returning to the serene one from before, "The great Nine-Tailed Fox, sealed away like an unwanted kunai..." Naruto said calmly.

**"You brat, you forget - I know what you are thinking and you are dead wrong, what happened that ni-"** the fox started saying but Naruto merely closed his eyes, only opening them to see the clear night sky above the Third Training Ground, he looked down at his right hand and saw a red chakra shroud enveloping it. The pain seemed to have subsided and any trace of the injury was quickly disappearing. Just as the chakra receded into his skin, five shadows appeared around the supine boy. They all stepped forward at once, revealing a squad of ANBU. They lifted Naruto up from under his elbows and Shunshined away, no words being exchanged between the two parties.

The ANBU deposited the boy in the Hokage's presence and quickly vanished. The latter reset his privacy seals and put on a grim face.

"Naruto-kun," he began and sighed, rubbing his temples, his real age evident in his posture and idiosyncrasies, "I do hope you are not meddling where no man should… You know what tapping into that power involves, I am afraid that the risks are far too great for one as young and inexperienced as you," Naruto hurt inside, not because of the failed Jutsu, not because of the daunting encounter with the Kyūbi, no. It was because the only person who cared for him, trusted him, was facing the repercussions of his mistake.

"How bad is it?" the boy asked timidly.

"The villagers are screaming murder… Root is vying for your custody. Luckily, the Shinobi are mostly on your side. The only problem is that until you graduate Kakashi's exam as a full Genin, you are not officially part of the Shinobi force. I'm afraid you leave me only one choice, Naruto-kun," the old man said ominously, only to break into a parental smile. Sarutobi reached under his desk and produced a white mask with narrow slits for its eyes, with large ears that almost looked like horns. If one strained, they could see the resemblance to a fox, but it was subtle.

"As the Third Hokage, leader of Konoha, I bid you, recite your pledge," Naruto had long awaited this moment and he need not have prepared or learned anything by heart, for it was already there, just waiting for him to say it. Naruto straightened his shoulders and schooled his appearance in the perfect example of a solemn soldier.

"In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our village's call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside Konoha's finest special operations forces to serve his village, his people, and protect their way of life. I am that man.

"My headband is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes that have gone before, it embodies the trust of those I have sworn to protect. By wearing the headband I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.

"My loyalty to village and Team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellows, always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own.

"I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.

"We expect to lead and to be led. In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. I lead by example in all situations.

"I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My village expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.

"We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depend on me - my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.

"We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my village. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to defend.

"Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail," Naruto intoned with his last breath, a soft rising of his chest and the unwaivering look in his eyes the only signs of the long discourse that had just left his lips. Sarutobi's look was filled with longing as he remembered a time when he was young and could say the same as the boy, no, the man in front of him, with the same conviction and adamance.

There was no regret in his decision, no hesitation, Sarutobi extended his hand and presented the mask to the now grinning youth, who was struggling to maintain his composure and not break into a fit of jumps and fist pumps.

"You are to report to this location," the Third gave Naruto a slip of paper, "burn it after you are done. After you are done there, you can go home and rest, you're going to need it, tomorrow. Good night, Senshi."

Naruto was dismissed with a wave of the hand and, after securing the mask on his face, he disappeared in a shunshin, in true ANBU fashion. He quickly made his way through the empty streets, careful not to be followed. The building he was searching for was not far from the Hokage Residence, so he got there in no time. It was a one story home, by the looks of it, nondescript, very standard in every way when compared to any other house in the village. He checked the doorknob and, surprisingly enough, it was open. He stepped inside and entered a cozy living room.

"Through here!" a woman's voice echoed. Naruto followed the voice through a narrow hallway and saw a woman wearing an ANBU mask with long purple hair probing a wall. She muttered a quick "Kai!" and a portion of the wall caved in, revealing stairs leading down to what Naruto presumed was the basement, he was wrong.

If Naruto thought the living room of the home was cozy, he was now positively flabbergasted. He now stood in a huge room, with large couches and expensive-looking carpets decorating the floor. Tables stood at the center of every three couches. The room was empty except for a man with great bags under his eyes and droopy eyelids. His ANBU mask was on the table in front of him.

"Hello there, you must be Naruto. I'm Hayate, codename Saiun," he greeted.

The woman took off her mask, revealing a beautiful young woman with warm brown eyes and lips coated in red, "I'm Yūgao, codename Tsuki, and I'm in charge of teaching you the ropes," she said with a smile and then gestured around the room, "This is ANBU Headquarters, we call it Graceland. This is the only place in Konoha where you can reveal your identity, no civilians, Shinobi or ROOT members enter this place, ever. Emergency lockers are over there," she pointed to the far wall, "Emergency exits there," she motioned to a side hallway, "and there. Entrance is only granted via our ANBU seal," she then signaled Naruto to sit, she looked him over and touched his equipment in places, "This is ANBU Issue... Where in the world did you get this?" Yūgao asked, confused.

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Inheritance… of sorts," he answered vaguely, not wanting to reveal that his mother had been an ANBU before him, and her regular size fit him just right on his young frame. Yūgao was too young to have known either Minato or Kushina, so she just shrugged. She then moved to the far wall, tapped one of the lockers in a peculiar manner and after the door unlocked, she took out what looked to be a Field Sealing Kit. She got out the necessary tools and told Naruto not to move, she drew the swirls of the ANBU seal and some auxiliary patterns which would later disappear, she then channeled some chakra and the seal glowed a bright red before subsiding, leaving behind the ANBU tattoo on Naruto's left upper arm.

The young man had been watching the process curiously, recognizing the seals used easily. His brows furrowed and his nose scrunched up in what seemed to be a mild scowl. Yūgao picked up on this easily.

"What's wrong, don't like the ink?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. He shook his head.

"It's not that. That's an Uzumaki seal, but that's not a secure seal, many steps have either been modified or skipped entirely. Can I have that for a second?" Naruto pointed to the brush. Yūgao nodded absentmindedly, looking intensely at the seal, trying to see what the hell this kid was talking about.

Naruto drew a small seal that revealed the previous inkwork, modified a few shapes, added a few missing ones and then painted another seal array on top of the existing one. Hayate and Yūgao were looking wide-eyed at each other, both thinking the same unspoken question 'Did he just-?'

The blond channeled chakra into his new creation, leaving behind the ANBU tattoo surrounded by a new seal array, one he would use to hide his status as ANBU and as a storage seal for some of his more precious weapons.

"I'll have to talk to the Third about the seals… I suggest sweeping Graceland, this whole thing screams ROOT," Naruto muttered and yawned deeply. He still had Kakashi's exam tomorrow, so he bid his new companions farewell, but left a Shadow Clone behind to fix their seals.

Come morning, Team Kakashi was already at Training Ground 3, all of them except for the eponymous sensei. Sakura had gotten there first, eager to impress both her new sensei and… she glanced at Sasuke and giggled. The target of her affections was resting against a tree, mildly annoyed at the early hour and lack of food… then again, he was mildly annoyed at just about anything, ranging from kittens to large sums of money in his bank account.

Naruto arrived a few minutes before schedule and, after a quick glance around, opened the scroll containing his sealing supplies and started practicing. After a few minutes of the aforementioned, his two teammates' curiosities peaked and they took places at each of the blond's shoulders, watching in fascination as Naruto's hand glided over the scrolls at incredible speeds. Sasuke was the first to notice the blond's new tattoo.

"Say, Naruto, what's with this thing on your arm?" Sasuke said while pointing at the seal. Naruto's head lifted from his work and he looked at his own shoulder for a second before nodding dismissively, his hand never straying from its work.

"It's a storage seal," Naruto said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"A storage seal. On your skin? Hmmm… Could be useful. Teach me," Sasuke said, arrogance clear in his tone.

"Depends… if you're going to be using it in your hunt for your brother. No. If you're going to be using it in order to protect this village… I thought so," Naruto said and Sasuke's shoulders rose, his fists clenching, ready to retort. The reply never came, though, because a clink of bells announced the arrival of Kakashi Hatake, the Jōnin with the highest failure rate amongst any of the Genin teams - 100%.


	4. Chapter 4 Reminder of the Past

Honorbound. Chapter 4. Reminder of the Past.

Author's Note: Many thanks to my wonderful girlfriend for drawing the cover art for Honorbound. You can see the full version at mezaharu, on DeviantArt.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

"But Kakashi-sensei, there are only two bells and there's three of us," Sakura protested, looking grimly at the twin domes hanging from the tall man's belt.

"That's right, one of you will be returning to the Academy, for further training," Kakashi responded with one of his trademarked eye smiles. Sakura's brows knitted together as she contemplated the consequences of such a test. She was good with books… not Taijutsu or any kind of fighting, both Sasuke and Naruto had much better chances of succeeding than her.

Sasuke smirked arrogantly, even if Naruto got a bell, there was no chance for the pink-haired fangirl to get the other. This would be a walk in the park.

Naruto, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow and adopted a faux Shikamaru thinking pose, his right hand under his chin and his left one underneath the opposite armpit. 'Something's not right… Konoha's teams always have four members. Besides, Kakashi is famed for his battle prowess, there's no way a random group of Genin could realistically overcome this challenge, unless… the real test has nothing to do with the bells…' he nodded to himself and stared his sensei right in the eye.

"You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't get these bells," Kakashi stated and cast a wary eye over Naruto and his shoulder. He may have fooled the two kids, but a former ANBU captain could recognize that seal anywhere, even if it was covered with others, "Begin!" the Jōnin commanded, not bothering to take out his new copy of Icha Icha when he was up against an ANBU.

Just as Sasuke and Sakura prepared to jump away into the surrounding foliage, Naruto prevented the movement by grabbing on to each nearest wrist. "None of us can take him on alone," Naruto stated simply and looked at both of them for confirmation. They both nodded testily, surprised at the blond's serious tone and attitude. Naruto let go of their wrists and the three of them readied their Taijutsu stances.

"Formation number three?" Sasuke asked, not sure if he was the de facto leader of the group.

"I'll take point. When I jump, you get him from both sides," Naruto said and dashed for Kakashi. He threw a kunai and executed quick four quick handseals. "Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the blond yelled and his lone projectile multiplied into a rain of deadly steel. Kakashi lifted his headband and opened his scarred eyelid, revealing a red iris with three tomoe spinning around a small pupil. He deftly jumped between the flying kunai and parried efficiently, creating a hole for himself in the dangerous cloud of gray. Naruto jumped over the Jōnin, who was too preoccupied with the kunai, and touched his shoulder, a katana with an onyx blade appearing in his right hand. Kakashi's eyes widened at the familiar weapon and at the implications that it carried.

Naruto, still upside down in the air, extended his hand in a strike above Kakashi, who raised his kunai up in a block, only to have it sliced perfectly in half, a blow which continued through the older man's failed defence to his shoulder, slicing through muscle and tendon.

Kakashi grabbed his now bleeding shoulder and took out a new kunai, cursing himself for the training he'd missed since he left his position as ANBU all those years ago. Sasuke exploited the opening and started pummeling Kakashi with kicks and punches, partly because of the bell test but even more so because a Hatake had his family's Dōjutsu. Sakura was close behind and she reinforced the onslaught of limbs that fell upon the bleeding Jōnin. Kakashi was forced to block and counterattack with his legs only, masterfully dodging and creating distance between the two Genin. "Yo Naruto, why are you not helping your team?" Kakashi asked, sensing the Jinchūriki standing passively behind him. Naruto was shaking his head from left to right looking at the blood dripping from his mother's katana.

"I could have killed you with that strike, you idiot!" he yelled at Kakashi. He had barely stopped the flow of Wind chakra that he had been channeling through the blade before he clipped any major arteries.

"I underestimated you, Naruto, but I trusted in your ability not to permanently maim me. This," he glanced at the wound, "is no more than a scrape. Now start fighting or watch me cause serious damage to your so-called teammates!" Kakashi shouted back and reared back for a full power kick to the side of Sasuke's head.

Naruto saw the muscles in Kakashi's body tense and felt the amount of chakra that was being thrown into the kick. He subconsciously deactivated the weight and gravity seals on his body and ran full speed at his temporary enemy, appearing in front of a trembling Sasuke and a surprised Kakashi. He aimed a stab at a non-vital spot in Kakashi's side, who vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a doomed log that was immediately split in two. Naruto turned around and pointed at a spot in the nearby forest, then looked intently at Sasuke. "Make it hot," he said simply.

Sasuke went through his handseals and inhaled deeply. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"(Fire Release: Great Fireball) he shouted and exhaled, spouting an immense cloud of fire that engulfed the forest. While he was still executing the Jutsu, Naruto made the ram handseal. "Fūton: Kamikaze!"(Wind Release: Divine Wind) four narrow tornadoes shot towards the fireball, amplifying the effects of both the Jutsus. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of trees had been turned in naught but ash.

Squad 7 scanned the charred landscape and equally befuddled frowns marred their faces. Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, and realization flashed in their eyes before they echoed "MOVE!" and followed their own advice. As the three Genin jumped, three pairs of hands shot from the earth and grabbed their ankles, burying them neck deep into the ground. Three Kakashis appeared, before disappearing into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a disheveled, charred and bleeding Jōnin that was eyesmiling at the disembodied heads. At that exact moment, the alarm signaled the arrival of noon and the end of the bell test. Kakashi replaced the headband over his scarred eye, looked down at the bells still hanging from his belt and sighed deeply.

"It appears none of you have recovered a bell. How unfortunate…" he appeared deep in thought for a moment, but then raised his right index finger and looked at Naruto joyfully, "No need to despair. Naruto, because you correctly guessed that this exercise was meant to test how well you worked together as a team, and because you were a hair's breadth away from killing me, you get to choose if you'd rather graduate Sasuke or Sakura with you," Kakashi said with finality. Both the pink-haired kunoichi and the self-appointed avenger now regretted their mistreatment of the whiskered blond and held little hope of being the favored shinobi.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and Sakura in turn and saw the guilt and disappointment in each and then at the smiling Kakashi. How could he be smiling in a situation like this?! "No," Naruto said defiantly.

"What do you mean, 'no'? Count this as an order: choose between the two, and do it now. I make the rules-" Kakashi began saying but was interrupted by a disgruntled Naruto.

"SCREW THE RULES!" the boy shouted and the rage contained in the cerulean eyes made Kakashi falter in his resolve for a moment.

"If you cannot do what needs to be done, then perhaps I was wrong, perhaps a member of this 'team' fits those shoes better. Sasuke. I am only going to ask this once. Sakura or Naruto?" Kakashi turned to the glaring Uchiha.

"Go to hell," he stated proudly, then glanced at Naruto and smiled genuinely. The kid had surprised him today and even if he was confined to the Academy for his whole life, he still promised himself to befriend Naruto, maybe share knowledge with him. Sasuke wasn't an idiot, he knew that they were not equals, but that did not mean that they couldn't be. Between his current level and his ultimate goal, there now stood a new step and it involved Naruto.

"Sakura," Kakashi said and turned to the green-eyed girl who was biting her lip and looking worriedly at Sasuke and Naruto. She wanted to say Sasuke with all her heart, but she knew she was no match to either of them, she didn't deserve to pass while one of them failed. She steeled herself for the upcoming answer.

"SHANNARO! No! There, I said it! No, you one eyed bastard," Sakura shouted, her temper flaring in defense of her teammates, no, her friends.

"YOU!" grey clouds appeared from nowhere and the sky darkened considerably, Kakashi loomed over the three Genin with a menacing stare in his one visible eye. 'Whatever happens, it was worth it,' was the thought that grounded the conscience of the three youngsters, well… that and the ground surrounding their bodies, "pass!" Kakashi finished with an eye smile, then proceeded to hastily drag each of them out of the ground, except Naruto who employed the use of one of his shadow clones.

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum… that's true. But," Kakashi paused and looked at the Memorial Stone behind him with fondness, "those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," the youngsters now had looks of relief and admiration in their eyes at their sensei's words, "The exercise is over, everyone passes, Squad 7 starts its first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi declared with pride in his voice and a thumbs up.


	5. Chapter 5 Victims of Circumstance

"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." ― J.R.R. Tolkien

Honorbound. Chapter 5. Victims of Circumstance.

ANBU Fire Team 2 hastily equipped themselves with all the necessary armaments. They had just received a dispatch from the Hokage - infiltrate a medical laboratory discovered on the outskirts of Konoha, possibly one of Orochimaru's former hideouts. Any combatants are to be killed on sight. The team announced their immediate deployment to overwatch and moved out.

The first on site was the team leader and ANBU Captain, code-named Tsuki. The body of the formation, Senshi and Saiun arrived shortly afterwards, setting up a defensive perimeter around the hidden entrance to the facility. The rearguard, a man with hair gray from age and a buffalo ANBU mask completed the formation. A few hand signs later and the older ANBU, code-named Baku, had littered the entrance with intelligently placed explosive tags and seals.

Eisei, a talented combat medic who had honed his skills in the Third Shinobi World War, was currently working on perfecting his greatest creation yet, a Jutsu that would revolutionise the world.

A mysterious man had come to him years ago, in his time of greatest need. His wife was on her deathbed, in death throes of a mysterious kind, and he was desperate for help. His sudden employer had presented him with an offer too tempting and Eisei knew deep down that something was amiss, but did not have the heart to refuse it - his wife would be taken care of and in return, he would work night and day, secluded in a laboratory, experimenting on the bodies of the terminally ill or criminals on the death row. Sometimes he would receive the bodies of children or pregnant women, but they, unlike the unconscious, drugged criminals, had already died beforehand.

The sheer amount of suitable knowledge and information that his employer supplied him with had Eisei develop a Jutsu unlike any other, a Jutsu that allowed its user to virtually live forever. There were side effects and the Jutsu was all together quite flawed and for this reason Eisei was still hard at work, dissecting corpses and analysing chakra networks.

A loud siren startled the medic and interrupted his current task, making him drop his scalpel on the ground, loud explosions could be heard echoing through the compound, muffling the cries of pain of its inhabitants - colleagues, bodyguards, assistants... all of them just victims of circumstance. The havoc caused by the intruders quickly reached the deepest confines of the laboratory, his operating theatre. He slowly removed his surgical mask and cap and picked up his dropped scalpel, charging it with chakra. What he saw, though, stopped him in his tracks. The intruders were not missing nins, villains or rogues… they were ANBU and in that moment, he had conceded to his folly. The vanguard, an ANBU of short stature, with a mask that appeared to be weeping the blood of his friends, approached Eisei at a leisurely place, holding his katana at his side before deftly flicking it free of blood.

"If you do not wish to die here, confess to everything that has transpired in this place," came a disembodied voice, clearly a product of the vocal distortion on the vanguard's mask.

A tearful Eisei proceeded to explain the past years at length, endearing all the ANBU present to his story, an exception being the war-hardened Baku, who had begrudgingly criticised the medic on his gullibility. When Eisei had finished talking, Fire Team 2 was at an impasse, on one hand they had clear orders - Eisei had a death sentence, on the other, the medic was clearly not a malicious man, but an honorable one and the next few seconds came as a testament to this. The former combat medic and war veteran raised his scalpel and placed it on the side of his neck. Senshi raised his katana and leaped for the medic, intending to parry the scalpel. Tsuki and Saiun had raised their left hands, in a futile attempt at discouraging the man from his fate. Baku seemed resigned to the events and merely tilted his head downwards, his buffalo mask a mirror of his compassion, the features reflecting the pain and loss the old man had faced throughout his life.

Then it was all over. Senshi was standing next to Eisei's lifeless body, his shoulders trembling and his hand shaking from the tight grip he had on the katana's handle. Tsuki came over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, firmly squeezing it.

"There was no other way," she said in barely a whisper, "The mission is over. Move out!" At the team leader's command, the squad swiftly withdrew, Baku setting up tags and seals along the way.

The last of Orochimaru's hideouts, along with Eisei, his friends and their stories disappeared in a dull thud and the engulfing flames of incendiaries. ANBU Fire Team 2 returned to Graceland just as the crack of dawn lit up Konoha in a red, mournful panorama.

When afternoon came, Team 7 gathered in front of the Academy, ready to receive its next mission. Sasuke and Sakura noticed something was wrong with their teammate but decided to file that for later. Kakashi was late as usual and when he arrived he'd already decided on another D-rank, namely catching a certain cat that, despite… in fact, because of, its female owner's affection, frequently ran away from home. Tora had gotten extremely skilled at hiding from shinobi and after a few hours without the help of Kakashi or Naruto, Team 7 was still fervently searching every inch of the forests surrounding Konoha.

"If we don't catch this cat soon I swear I'm going to kill somebody!" Sakura screeched and Sasuke grunted in agreement.

"Don't even joke about that," Naruto ground out through clenched teeth, remembering flashbacks of the previous night's events.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll have a chat with Naruto," Kakashi instructed and waved off the two genin, "I heard what happened," he said simply and grabbed Naruto's shoulder in the exact spot Yūgao had, earlier that day, "First kill?" the former ANBU asked the current one, Naruto inhaled deeply and closed his eyes briefly.

"First… second… thirty-secon… Thirty-third. I could have saved him… if only I was faster…" Naruto berated himself once again.

"I, too, know someone who comitted suicide and for the same reasons that the man in your tale did," Kakashi said with a sigh, raising his eye to the sky, "My father once said to me that no person was ever honoured for what he received. Honour has been the reward for what he gave. I only wish that had been so in his case… or in yours," Kakashi said and a tear trickled down Naruto's cheek.

"Thank you, sensei," Naruto said and for the first time, actually meant what he said. It felt inexplicably good to have another mentor who was still alive, alongside The Third.

"Come now, our team is waiting. We've got a cat to catch. If you can catch it in the next," Kakashi glanced at his watch, "two minutes, our next mission will be a C-rank."

Naruto smiled and nodded to himself. "Consider it done!" he shouted and leapt with a grin on his face.


End file.
